(Reuters) – Aaron Rodgers will miss the rest of the 2023 National Football League (NFL) season with a torn left Achilles tendon suffered moments into his much-anticipated New York Jets debut, according to a report on the league’s website on Tuesday.
The Jets acquired Rodgers in a blockbuster trade with the Green Bay Packers in April and the four-time NFL Most Valuable Player’s bid to turn the long-suffering team into a contender had been the top storyline heading into the 2023 season.
But on the Jets’ fourth play from scrimmage in their season opener on Monday versus the visiting Buffalo Bills, Rodgers fell awkwardly and had to be helped off the field by two members of the medical staff.
The 39-year-old quarterback was wearing a walking boot as he headed to the Jets locker room after getting X-Rays, which were negative, and was ultimately ruled out for the rest of the game.
After the game the Jets said Rodgers would have an MRI on Tuesday to determine the severity of his injury.
The Jets did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for an update on Rodgers but the team wished him well in his recovery on social media platform X, formerly called Twitter.
“Not the way any of us wanted it to go, but we know the commitment you’ve made to this team will continue to impact us moving forward,” the Jets said.
The Jets last made the NFL playoffs in 2010 and since then have managed just one season above .500 while finishing in last place in the four-team AFC East division seven times.
But the trajectory of the franchise changed immediately with the acquisition of Rodgers, whose arrival saw the Jets’ Super Bowl odds surge after the trade.
Backup quarterback Zach Wilson, who the Jets selected with the second pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, came in for Rodgers and completed 14 of 21 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown en route to a surprising 22-16 overtime victory.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)
